Realogics Sotheby's International Realty and Daniels Development to Host "Countdown to Takedown"

Executives of Daniels Development and Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) will host a community reception at the recently completed Gridiron Condominiums in Pioneer Square in recognition of the closure of the two-level viaduct structure on January 11th after 66 years of service. Market observers suggest this is the most transformative event to take place in downtown Seattle since the 1962 World’s Fair. 

“Local residents and our real estate community are going party like it’s the end of Hwy 99,” muses Dean Jones, President and CEO of RSIR. “This celebration starts the countdown to the takedown of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seattle’s much anticipated reconnection to Elliott Bay.”  

WHAT: Countdown to Takedown Celebration. Community residents, real estate brokers and prospective buyers will gather for a front row view of the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure and learn about the many changes taking shape in the immediate neighborhood and transportation routes. 

WHERE: Gridiron Condominiums Penthouse Club — 590 1st Avenue South, Seattle. 

WHEN: Friday, January 11th from 7pm to 11pm (celebration at 10pm sharp). 

WHY: The removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will commence a Seattle waterfront renaissance, dramatically enhancing the desirability and value of residential and commercial real estate along or adjacent to Alaskan Way and its surrounding parks and open spaces. 

HOW: Event guests will enjoy a preferred view of the final vehicle driving across the Alaskan Way Viaduct at 10pm while enjoying hosted catering, libations and celebration revelry. 

 Jones says Seattle’s waterfront will evolve from a noisy, disconnected and commercial environment to become a world-class amenity rivaling other West Coast cities like Vancouver, BC and San Francisco, CA. 

Waterfront Seattle is a multi-year program to rebuild Seattle’s waterfront following the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The program spans the waterfront from Pioneer Square to Belltown and includes a rebuilt Elliott Bay Seawall, a new surface street providing access to and from downtown, and new parks, paths, and access to Elliott Bay. Waterfront Seattle is led by the City of Seattle's Office of the Waterfront, working closely with civic leaders, stakeholders and the broader Seattle public to create a "Waterfront for All." For more information, visit www.WaterfrontSeattle.org. 

While the vision and potential for the Seattle waterfront will take several years to be fully realized, the Waterfront Seattle Program Area has already influenced redevelopment in the neighborhood, including the 107-unit Gridiron 

Condominiums that delivered in early 2018. Approximately three dozen new listings available for sale priced from $576,900 to $1,149,900 remain available for immediate sale with special financing starting at just 2.5% interest (see agent for details). 

“We’ve already seen a significant uptick in homebuyer inquires as the future of the immediate neighborhood becomes more and more clear – the excitement is building,” says Moira Holley, Sales Director for Gridiron Condominiums and a co-founder of RSIR. “I’d suggest our existing buyers are feeling very good about their investment.” 

Gregg Lynn, a top-selling real estate broker with Sotheby’s International Realty in San Francisco agrees. Lynn had a front row seat to watch the transformation of The Embarcadero after the elevated Golden Gate Freeway (Interstate 480) was demolished following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. 

“This is a total gamechanger for local real estate,” adds Lynn. “Living along or near The Embarcadero in San Francisco is cherished and today constitutes some of the most prized real estate in the city. The removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct appears to be just another example of how Seattle and San Francisco continue to mirror each other.” 

To help prospective homebuyers visualize the changes, a virtual realty flyover tour of the new waterfront was commissioned by Daniels Development. The tour illustrates Gridiron Condominiums as the very doorstep of the waterfront promenade known as Railroad Way, “a pedestrian gateway linking the waterfront to Pioneer Square and the stadiums. Railroad Way will encourage new circulation and activities throughout the year and on game days at CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field.” The initiative is the first listed among 18 direct and related projects in the future waterfront. 

In acknowledgement of the transformation a temporary banner hanging on Gridiron Condominiums aptly states, “SEATTLE’S WATERFRONT STARTS HERE”.